Random musings of an empty-nesting mother of six, grandmother of six handsome boys,including three-year old twins, and four charming young ladies -- with surprises due in the spring -- who hasn't had enough sleep since before her own kids were born!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I've been spending a lot of time helping Arwen with my marvelous new grandsons and haven't posted in more than a month (ouch), but I did manage to enter and get my prompts for this month's Playing Poetry. I'm going to post what I have, and if anybody wants something better I'll post pictures of the babies! ;-D

Place: Mendon (described by the submitter as a small town)

Question: What do the angels see?

Pastorale

On Christmas Eve in Mendon the pale snowFalls gently past the steeple of the church;Both white, both quiet, for the swaying bellsAre waiting for the depth of night to chime.

Inside, the congregation sings a hymn."It came upon the midnight clear....". OutsideClose pressing in, as if to hear the songThe angels gather. On this holy nightTheir thoughts fly long ago and far away ---A stable in another tiny town;A baby bringing peace to Earth, goodwillTo all mankind. And yet the angels knowThe promise they sang then is still delayed.

Why are they gathered here? What goodOr evil have the angels come to find?Or are they simply here to sing againFor us who plod along the weary road?

When I Googled Mendon after receiving my prompts, I discovered that there are in fact three Mendons in the US, in New York, Massachusetts, and here in Michigan. And the one in Michigan was named by settlers from both of the others. I also found quickly a picture of a classic steepled white church in one of the Mendons, hence the direction of the poem.

More poems can be found by going to Enbretheliel's blog, since she's hosting this month. (There is a rumor that I'm next.....)